On August 3rd, organized chaos will be ensued on fight night. Terence "Bud" Crawford is moving up the junior middleweight to take on WBA champion Israil Madrimov. The WBO Interim title will be on the line as well. Here are the predictions for the bouts on the card.
Bout 1 - Andy Cruz vs. Antonio Moran
Andy Cruz is a Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist boxer with a 4-0 record. Although he is off to a strong start in his professional career, his biggest weakness is his lack of experience in professional boxing compared to an experienced fighter like Moran. Cruz has yet to be tested, while Moran has an impressive 30-6-1 record, with a sizeable height and reach advantage. A flurry of power punches may breach Cruz's Philly shell defense, and Moran has the conditioning to go ten rounds strong with Cruz.
Prediction: Antonio Moran by decision
Bout 2 - David Morrell vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic for the WBA Vacant "Regular" Light Heavyweight Title
David Morrell enters this fight as a -2500 favorite for the prized WBA light heavyweight title. Morrell has a 10-0 record, including nine knockouts and only one decision. Furthermore, Morrell has had eight of his ten professional fights finish before the fifth round. Kalajdzic has a demanding physical prowess along with his 29-2 record, but 21 of those wins came between 2011-2015, and he's an over-the-hill fighter at this point in his career. Father time waits for no man.
Prediction: David Morrell by TKO/KO
Bout 3- Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz vs. Jose Valenzuela for Cruz's WBA Junior Welterweight Title
Pitbull Cruz has been battle-tested for quite some time in his career. The Mexican fighter is seen as the fighter who gave Gervonta "Tank" Davis the most challenging fight of his career, and for good reason, with his 26-2-1 record. What Cruz lacks in size, he brings in heart and power with 18 career knockouts. Valenzuela has a 13-2 record and has a size advantage, but he lacks the defensive skill or aggression to get around Cruz's walking-down fight size.
Prediction: Isaac Cruz by TKO/KO
Bout 4 - Jared "Big Baby" Anderson vs. Martin Bakole
Both fighters have yet to go to the highest levels of heavyweight boxing, so Anderson and Bakole will be eager to put on a show and win here. Anderson enters the fight with a 17-0 record, and Bakole enters with a 20-1 record. This is a fight between two fighters posing a plus 70% knockout percentage, so haymakers and power punches will be seen through and through. Where the difference sets in is the experience factor, as Bakole has been around the professional ropes more and has more rounds under his belt.
Prediction: Martin Bakole by Decision
Bout 5 - Andy Ruiz vs. Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller
Andy Ruiz is a former champion coming into this fight with -370 odds to win. Ironically, Ruiz was Jarrell Miller's replacement to face Anthony Joshua in that eventful fight. Ruiz was overlooked, but he proved to doubters why looking past the surface is essential, especially when boxing. Jarrell Miller is no slouch, a world-class boxer with an impressive 26-1-1 record. This fight seems to be redemption for his loss to Daniel Dubois in December. Ruiz will have been out of the ring for a little under two years when he faces Miller. This stretch of inactivity is partly due to shoulder surgery, but he has also seen a planned fight with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder plummit. This fight is a more evenly set fight than the odds are telling.
Prediction: Jarell Miller by Decision
Bout 6 - Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov for Madrimov's WBA Super Junior Middleweight Title
Crawford was last seen in July of 2023 as he produced an impressive and career-defining performance to stop Errol Spence Jr. in the ninth round, becoming the undisputed welterweight champion in the process. He now looks to conquer Madrimov, becoming a four-weight world champion. Madrimov's first defense of his belt will be against Crawford, who will undoubtedly be the most challenging test of his career, but he has passed all of his previous exams. Crawford has almost every advantage coming into this fight except for experience as a light middleweight. Crawford covers those boxes with four times the professional experience as Madrimov, being a master technician and an ambidextrous counter puncher. This fight may not go the distance.
Prediction: Terence Crawford by TKO/KO
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